Kagirinai Densetsu: The Eternal Legend
by Jessica Wolfe
Summary: -chapters updated- Kagirinai: eternal, unlimited, endless. The new legend of the Four Gods, their mikos, and the brave men and women who serve them.
1. Chapter 1

The throne room was dimly lit by torches in metal brackets along the stone wall; the obsidian throne itself nearly invisible in the deep shadow that cloaked it.

"Fear. Hatred. Envy. Arrogance," a deep voice intoned from the throne. "Some of the worst traits of the human soul."

The four figures standing before the throne bowed low. They looked human, but the aura of power emanating from them suggested otherwise. They were demons in human form.

Shinrou, the leader of the demons, was tall with pale silvery hair. Netami, the only female, wore her long red hair in a braid, a leather whip wrapped around her slender waist. Ken'o crouched at Netami's side, his black-and-white striped hair sticking out wildly from his head and a feral grin on his lips. Ogori, his pale blue eyes indifferent, stood aloof from the other three.

Dark eyes glittered from the shadowy figure seated on the throne and there was a flash of teeth as the occupant smiled.

"And I am the Darkness which breeds them all." There was a moment of silence then the enthroned figure thundered, "Bring the vessels!"

Humans in ragged clothing, chains around their ankles and wrists, shuffled into the room bearing four huge urns. It took five men to carry each pot. The four demons took charge of the humans, directing them to place the urns at the four points of a large mosaic inlaid in the marble floor of the hall.

The mosaic was a map of the sky with the seven constellations that guarded the four guardian deities of each point. When the urns were placed and the humans removed from the room, the four demons took up their places between the constellations and the representations of the Beast Gods: the Black Tortoise of the North, the Blue Dragon of the East, the Crimson Phoenix of the South, and the White Tiger of the West.

"Now, let the balance of power shift," the figure on the throne said.

An eerie green light began to glow in each mouth of the four urns, followed by an answering luminescence from the representations of the Four Gods in the mosaic. On the forehead of each demon, the beast gods' symbol began to shine.

From the throne came a resonating evil laugh.

Shinrou cried out suddenly, collapsing to his knees as the symbol of the Tortoise flickered on his forehead and vanished. In quick succession the other demons were similarly afflicted, their symbols also fading.

"NO!" came the cry from the throne. "Damn them! They've disbursed their power to the seishi."

"And the mikos," Shinrou said, getting shakily to his feet. "I caught a flicker of it before the power disappeared."

"The urns are still drawing the beast gods' power, if more slowly than intended," Ogori noted. "It is only a matter of time."

"Yes, but if the mikos are called to this world and allowed to gather the seishi, they'll be able to summon the beast gods and restore their power," Netami groused.

"The mikos will come," said the one sitting on the throne. "We cannot stop that. But it will take them time to gather the seishi." The demons went to their knees in front of the throne as Yami looked at each one in turn. "You have tasted the gods' power. Go now. Seek out the seishi and mikos. Wreak havoc on them. When the beast gods' power is gathered to the urns, we will destroy this world."

The four demons pressed their foreheads to the floor in homage, and vanished.

* * *

A/N:  
Yami - darkness  
Shinrou - fear  
Netami - envy  
Ken'o - hate  
Ogori - arrogance


	2. Chapter 2

"Earth to Miru."

Miru Arai blinked and gave a startled look at her best friend Harumi Kojima. Harumi had short black hair that barely brushed her shoulders and intelligent green eyes, which were now staring intently at Miru.

"Sorry. What?"

Harumi blew out an exasperated breath. "I've been talking to you for the past twenty minutes. Do you remember anything I've said?"

Miru tried to think, then shook her head, sending her long black hair swishing across the back of her school uniform.

Harumi sighed again. "Momo-chan was right. We need to get you out of the house tonight."

Miru looked away from the knowing eyes of her friend. Today marked the four year anniversary of her father's death. Miru had been very close to her father and his death, and her mother's subsequent coldness, had been very hard on her.

"We're going to spend the night at Momoko's," Chidori announced.

Chidori, whose real name was Alicia Summers, had come from America two years ago. She had long auburn hair and intense blue eyes. She'd been put into the same class as Harumi and Miru. The two girls had been asked to tutor the American girl, since they both spoke English very well. Chidori had quickly become fluent in Japanese and all three had become close friends.

"Her father just came back from China and brought a bunch of stuff that Momo-chan wants to show us," Harumi said. "You know her and old dusty antiques."

Miru smiled. The last member of their group, Momoko Endou, was still in junior high. She was half-European, half-Japanese.

"I really shouldn't . . ." Miru said half-heartedly.

"Come on," Chidori said. "Your mom's probably already getting drunk at some bar."

Harumi stared at Chidori in shock as Miru bowed her head in shame.

"Chi-chan, that was totally uncalled for," Harumi growled.

"Maybe. But it's true. We all know that Arai-san gets drunk and—"

"Shut it, Chidori!" Harumi growled. "It's rude to discuss Miru's mom like that, especially in front of her."

Chidori had the grace to blush and apologize.

"I'll walk you back to your place," Harumi said to Miru, "and then we'll go over to Momo-chan's. I left my stuff there this morning, and Chidori is running to her place after school."

Miru gave a nod.

"It'll be fun," a subdued Chidori said. "We'll have tempura and cake and drink tea and talk about boys."

"And Momo-chan will go off for an hour at least on the latest antique that her father bought her," Harumi chimed in, determined to lighten the mood.

Chidori started to get a bit more animated. "And we'll have a pillow fight and her brothers will try to pull pranks on us—"

"But we'll get them first," Harumi said, grinning.

"And then we'll stay up late telling ghost stories and fall into terrified sleep."

Miru finally giggled. "You make it sound like we'll be camping out there all weekend or something."

"Who knows," Harumi said with a shrug. "Maybe we will."

* * *

After school Harumi and Miru said goodbye to Chidori and walked to Miru's house. Harumi waited in the living room while Miru packed a few things for their overnight stay. As she entered the living room, Harumi fixed her friend with a dagger stare.

"You didn't bring any text books did you?" the younger girl asked.

Miru gave her friend a guilty look.

"Ah hah! I thought so. Take them out right now!"

"But, Haru-chan—"

"We're going to Momo-chan's to have fun. No studying allowed."

"But—"

"No buts, Mi-chan. This is strictly a have fun night. You can get all brainy later."

Miru sighed and smiled as she pulled the text books from her bag. They left the apartment after Miru wrote a note for her mother telling her where she'd be. Miru and Harumi chatted lightly back and forth as they walked to Momoko's house. Momoko was a cute round girl with long dark blonde hair that Miru and Harumi had met on a field trip to Tokyo Tower. The girls had been gazing out over the city when Momoko had come up and handed Miru a pendant—a small silver crane that her father had given her—that she usually wore around her neck. When Miru checked the chain she found it had come undone and the pendant had fallen off.

The girls introduced themselves and Miru invited Momoko to her house to thank her for her kindness. There they learned that Momoko was two grades below Miru and Harumi. She was also half Japanese, her mother being French. Miru and Harumi had introduced Chidori at a later date and the four girls had become inseparable.

Miru and Harumi saw Chidori standing on the sidewalk ahead of them and they waved. They all walked up to Momoko's house together.

Momoko's house was a large two story affair with an immaculate garden and a high stone wall. It had been in the Endou family for generations and when Momoko's grandfather had passed away the house had fallen to Momoko's father.

"This place always makes me feel small," Chidori said as the three girls approached.

"Well you are the shortest one of the group," Harumi said helpfully.

Chidori stuck out her tongue as Miru knocked on the door. Dita, Momoko's younger sister opened the door.

"Momoko, it's your friends," the little girl called.

Momoko literally came bouncing down the hallway.

"Hey guys," the bubbly girl said. "Come on in. Kaa-chan's just getting some snacks ready."

Momoko led Harumi and Chidori up to her room, while Miru snuck away to the kitchen. "Good evening, Sera-san," Miru greeted.

"Miru-chan, how are you doing?" the plump woman asked affectionately.

"I'm well," Miru said with a smile. "I just wanted to know if there was anything I could help you with."

"No. I'm fine. You go on up and I'll bring the snacks in a moment."

"You're sure?" Miru insisted.

"I'm sure," the woman said firmly but kindly. "Now go have fun. And if I catch you with a school book I'll take it from you and hide it until you leave."

Miru laughed and left the kitchen. She really liked Momoko's mother. The woman knew how to kick back and relax as well as when to buckle down and work. Miru made her way up to Momoko's room and knocked on the door before going in.

"We were just about to send out a search party," Harumi teased.

"Not bearing any snacks?" Chidori quipped.

Miru smiled. "Sera-san sent me packing before I could grab the tray."

The girls all laughed and chatted about school and other things until Momoko's mother came in bearing a large tray laden with goodies.

"Arigatou!" the four girls chorused.

"Enjoy," Sera said before leaving.

"Itadakimasu!" the girls yelled and snagged their favorites from the tray.

"Your mom makes the best daifuku," Chidori said to Momoko as she savored the bun.

"I could eat your mother's tempura every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner," Harumi said.

Miru nodded. "Let's face it, Momo-chan. Your mother is the best cook in Tokyo."

"Hai!" Harumi and Chidori agreed enthusiastically.

The girls chatted intermittently as they ate. Finally they had the tray of goodies polished off.

"So, Momo-chan. Where's this book you were all excited to show us?" Harumi asked.

Momoko popped the last of her daifuku bun into her mouth and bounced over to her well endowed bookshelf where she retrieved a small red-leather bound book.

"I'll never understand her fascination with old books," Chidori said.

"If it's musty, leather bound, and at least fifty years old, Momo-chan will sniff it out," Harumi teased.

Momoko grinned happily as she came back with the book in her hands.

"I found it in Hong Kong when I visited my dad two week ago. Dad looked it over and said it was some kind of spell book and told me not to get it. But the characters were so beautifully drawn, just I had to."

Harumi took the book and opened the cover. After a moment she passed the book to Chidori.

"The characters are very well drawn," Harumi said. "Can you read it?"

Momoko shook her head. "I recognize some of the characters, but it's really old Chinese. Even Dad couldn't get much out of it."

Miru stared at the characters on the page. They seemed to swim and change before her eyes. Quietly she read, "This is the story of the Four Beast Gods, their mikos, and seishi."

The other three girls turned to look at Miru. She kept reading, almost as if compelled.

"A dark pall has fallen over the Four Lands and events have been set in motion that will determine the fates of all involved. Reaching across the worlds, the Beast Gods summon the four girls who will become their mikos and gather the seishi to save the lands."

Miru gave a small shudder and looked around at her friends, noticing them staring at her. "What?"

"You just read that book," Chidori said.

Miru blinked and looked down at the book in her lap. The characters were once again beautifully drawn, but foreign. "I did?"

"Well words were coming out of your mouth while you were staring at the book," the auburn-haired girl said.

Miru handed the book back to Momoko, her palms tingling where the book had rested. Chidori held out her hand to look at the book again. She scanned a few pages and shook her head.

"I can't make heads or tails of it."

Momoko took the book back and rose to return the book the shelf.

"So what do you guys want to do now?" the blonde asked.

Before anyone could answer a glow began to fill the room. Momoko dropped the book with a startled cry. It landed on the floor and fell open. Beams of red, silver, blue, and gold light shot out of the open book and surrounded the four girls. The lights brightened and intensified then merged, becoming blinding white. After a moment the light faded, leaving the room empty.


	3. Chapter 3

Miru was the first to awaken. She was disoriented and it took her a moment to realize that a sea of faces surrounded them. She stared at the people in shock before reaching a hand out to gently shake Harumi. The younger girl sat up with a jerk, her own eyes widening at the sight.

"Where. . . what. . . huh?"

A hand touched Miru's shoulder and she turned to see Momoko kneeling behind her. Chidori was still out.

"Get the priest," a voice from the throng said. "The women are awake now."

"Priest?" Harumi asked.

"What do you think they need a priest for?" Momoko asked.

"I'm surprised we can understand them," Miru murmured.

"Why shouldn't we?" Harumi whispered back.

"Do you see anything familiar about this place? It almost feels like we're in a foreign country."

They all looked around. There were rough wooden huts behind the group of people and dry fields beyond that. Nowhere was there a sign of a skyscraper, or a car, or a power line.

"Look at how rough their clothing is," Momoko pointed out. "The heavy cloth and coarse weave. You can see where they've had to patch it."

"This isn't the time for a fashion lesson, Momo-chan," Harumi murmured. "Who knows what this priest fellow is going to do. We'd do better to try and get out of here. Momoko, see if you can get Chidori to wake up."

"I'm awake," Chidori grumbled. She moved closer to the other three girls and stared around her. "Where are we?"

_In the book_, Miru wanted to say, but it sounded crazy even to her.

Miru looked around at the people still circling them. They couldn't have been out too long, she thought, or the crowd would have lost interest. She got to her feet and the quiet murmuring of the people stilled.

"Mi-chan," Harumi hissed, grabbing her friend's hand and trying to pull her back down.

Miru ignored her. "Please, can you tell us where we are?"

Silence.

"We mean no harm. We just want to get home. We're sorry if we've frightened any of you. Please help us."

Several people started muttering to each other, but none addressed Miru. After a moment of being ignored, Miru sank to her knees, tears forming in her eyes. She brushed them away angrily.

"You tried Mi-chan," Harumi said, putting an arm around the older girl.

Miru nodded and forced a smile.

"Make way for the priest!" a voice called over the general murmur of the crowd.

The circle of people parted, revealing an elderly man in scarlet robes. He walked to within a few paces of the four girls, and stopped. He studied them for a moment, then smiled kindly and bowed.

"Welcome to our land, young ladies from another world."

A gasp moved through the crowd. Then several voices started speaking at once.

"Is one of them the Priestess?"

"How do you know they're not demons?"

"Idiot, he's the priest. He'd know."

"We should tell the emperor."

"Who'd believe us?"

Voices rose and heated debates broke out. The priest ignored all this. He took Harumi and Miru by their hands and helped them to their feet. Momoko and Chidori rose as well.

"Come with me, honored ladies," he said softly. "We have much to discuss."

* * *

That night, Miru lay awake staring at the ceiling of a small hut.

Mikos. Seishi. Beast gods.

Everything the priest had told her, and her friends, whirled around in her head. Was something like this even possible?

Miru rolled onto her side and looked to where her friends slept soundly, envying them. She sighed and sat up.

"Miko-sama?"

A young girl, about four or five years old, rose from where she lay with her family on the floor. She padded to Miru's side.

"Miko-sama, can't you sleep?"

Miru smiled. "No."

"Are you scared?"

"A little."

The girl held out a worn doll to Miru. "You can sleep with Mito-chan. Papa says she helps keep away the bad things in the night so I can sleep."

Tears pricked Miru's eyes at the child's generosity. She reached out and brushed the girl's cheek with a fingertip.

"You hold onto Mito-chan. I'll be fine. Arigatou."

The little girl smiled and went back to her family. The father pulled the little girl into his embrace and gave Miru a smile before he went back to sleep. Miru lay back down, letting her tears fall silently. How many nights had she gone to her father after a bad dream when she was younger? She envied the little girl and prayed that she'd never know the sadness of having one of her parents die while she was still young.

Finally, in the small hours of the morning, Miru fell asleep.

It was the screams that woke her. Miru sat up, her heart thudding in her chest. The family who had so graciously offered their home was nowhere to be seen. A groggy Harumi sat up behind Miru and looked around.

"Tell Momo-chan's brothers to turn down the TV," she grumbled.

Miru shook her head and began dressing in the clothing the village had offered to her and her friends.

"There's no TV, Haru-chan. I'm going to find out what's happening."

Harumi, obviously more awake now, got up and began dressing. "Not without me. It sounds like a war out there."

Carefully, Miru stuck her head out the door, looking around. The sounds of swords ringing, and screaming were coming from the other end of the village. The street near the hut where they were was empty. Miru stepped out into the street.

"This is crazy," Harumi said. "Beast gods. Celestial warriors. And now a fight? I vote we go home."

"We ought to go to the Imperial City, like the priest suggested," Miru said. "I'm sure the emperor would know how to send us home. Or he'd know someone who'd know."

Miru thought the sounds of battle were dying away and moved further out into the street.

"I hope everyone's okay," she murmured.

A man staggered around the corner and Miru stifled a scream. He had an arrow embedded in his back.

"Go back," the man gasped. He collapsed to his knees. "Go back," he said again, waving to the house.

Harumi grabbed Miru's arm and dragged her back into the house. Momoko and Chidori were up and dressing.

"What's going on?" Chidori asked.

"We should leave," Miru said, her face white. "It's not safe here."

Chidori looked at Harumi. "What do you mean? We're safer here than out there on our own."

"There's fighting in the village," Harumi said. "It's probably the local bandits the priest was telling us about. They'll take what they want and leave."

"How can you be so calm?" Momoko asked.

"It's not real, right?" Harumi said, sounding cocky. "If we're in the book, then none of this is real."

The other three girls stared at her.

"Oh come on! You're all thinking the same thing. Momoko went to put the book back. Then there was a light and we woke up here. We're inside the book."

"That, or we're all having the same weird dream," Chidori said. She looked at Momoko. "What did your mom put in the daifuku?"

The door to the house burst open and the girls screamed. The red robed priest stood in the door way, motioning to them.

"Come, ladies," he said urgently. "We must get you away from here."

"Where are we going?" Momoko asked.

"We have horses. Three men will escort you to the capitol."

Chidori's face paled. "I can't ride."

"We'll figure it out later," Harumi said, taking control. "Let's just get out of here first."

The priest nodded. "Follow me, please."

The four girls huddled close together as they followed the elderly man out into the village. The noises of battle was moving closer now. A ruddy glow lit part of the village.

"Are they after us?" Chidori asked.

The priest shook his head. "It's the bandits. They raid every so often, and we're usually ready to fight them, but the winter has been hard. They're more fierce than in previous years."

"Isn't there someone to protect you?" Harumi asked. "Surely the emperor has soldiers. . ."

"They are busy on the boarders. Our neighbor, Kutou, had eyed our lands for generations, and the bandits of Mt. Reikaku have been making a nuisance of themselves. Ah, here we are."

Three men stood with five old shaggy horses. Miru stared. The beasts were obviously for plowing fields, and she didn't think they'd be able to carry anyone very far.

"We're riding those?" Harumi asked in a choked voice.

"They look kinda . . . old," Momoko said delicately.

The priest spread his hands in apology. "We're a small village, and not very wealthy."

"We're lucky to get anything at all to ride," Miru said, giving her friends a sharp look. "Let's go."

The three men helped Miru and Harumi to mount the two extra horses, since they had some experience with horses. Chidori and Momoko were settled in front of two of the men while the other man started out ahead of them on the best horse.

"He'll ride for help from a neighboring village," the priest explained. "The rest of you, go as quickly as you can and head for the capitol."

The priest stepped back and invoked the god Suzaku, praying for their safe journey.

"Go. Quickly!"

Miru urged her horse into motion one step behind the two men who carried Chidori and Momoko. Harumi was at her side. They moved into a canter and then a thudding, jolting gallop that set Miru's teeth on edge. She looked over her shoulder once and saw men armed with swords and bows following. They didn't seem to have horses though. She turned her attention to staying seated on her rocky-gaited mount.

_If we survive this ride_, she thought, _I'm going to need a long hot bath_.

A high pitched whine filled the air, but Miru didn't dare take her attention away from the horse. Something long and slender flew past the side of her head and thudded into the ground.

An arrow?

Miru threw a glance over her shoulder and saw three riders on sleek horses. One was fitting another arrow to his bow. Miru's heart clenched in her chest as panic set in. The horse, not used to riders and catching Miru's fear, slowed and balked.

"Don't stop," Miru whimpered, kicking at the horse's flanks. "Please don't stop."

An arrow thudded into the ground in front of the horse and the animal reared with a cry of fear. Miru screamed and grabbed at the reins, trying to stay seated. The animal came back down onto all fours with a bone-jarring thud. Miru looked around as the horse danced nervously in circles.

Where were her friends?

_Please let them get away_, Miru prayed.

With a sudden scream, Miru's horse crashed to the ground, trapping her leg beneath its bulk. Through a red haze of pain, Miru tried to figure out what had happened. She could hear voices. Someone was screaming. It took a moment to realize that it was her. She pushed at the horse, but it didn't move.

_I'm trapped_, she thought. _Kami-sama, help me!_

She opened her eyes. She was on the ground, her left leg pinned beneath the horse. Three arrows sprouted from the animal's belly, and the horse shuddered as its life bled away.

"This can't be real," she whispered.

Three tall shapes gathered around her. One pointed an arrow at her.

"She's kinda pretty," one of the men said.

"She'd get a better price if she wasn't all banged up," the second one said.

"Not my fault. She ran with the others," the archer said.

Miru closed her eyes again and tried to push the horse off her. She thought she felt herself move.

"Let me go," she cried. "I have nothing of value."

The men chuckled.

"Can't let you go, pretty one."

A roar of rage got the men's attention. Miru felt the ground thundering beneath her, and heard someone scream her name.

The world dissolved into sparkling red light.


	4. Chapter 4

Momoko rushed into the room where Harumi and Chidori were playing a game of go.

"Miru's awake!" their blonde-haired friend panted.

Harumi was on her feet and out the door almost before Momoko finished speaking. Despite the awkward robes the emperor had given her to wear, she ran down the palace halls, dodging servants, imperial advisors and soldiers in her haste to reach the infirmary. She wasn't book smart like Miru, or as brash as Chidori, or a homemaker like Momoko. But she was fast. Faster than all the girls in her class, and most of the boys too.

Harumi was proud of the lean muscles that showed on her arms and legs from years of kendo training with Miru's dad and the recent addition of jujitsu. She darted into the infirmary, slowing to a fast walk so as to avoid disrupting the patients too much. She didn't see the annoyed looks that several healers threw at her as she sped through their wing to Miru's small room. Chidori and Momoko came panting in a moment later.

Miru was sitting up in bed, letting a doctor take her pulse and examine her leg. She smiled wanly at her friends. Harumi tried to be patient as she, Chidori and Momoko waited for the doctor to finish his examination. The old healer fixed Harumi with a stern look as he prepared to leave the room.

"You need to show more restraint, Your Eminence," he said.

Harumi nodded, trying to hide her irritation. She wanted to talk to Miru. "Gomen. I was a little excited."

The healer gave her a severe look. "Miru-san needs more rest, so don't stay too long." Then with a slight nod, he left the room.

Once the healer was gone, the girls gathered around Miru's bed. Harumi gave her a tight hug.

"You scared me. You slept for two days."

"Gomen," Miru said softly.

"We're in Eiyou, the capitol of Konan," Chidori said. "Just in case you were wondering."

"You should have seen it!" Momoko chimed in. "When Harumi saw you were in trouble she turned right around to save you. She looked like some warrior goddess, standing in the stirrups and screaming your name like a demented thing."

Harumi cuffed Momoko lightly. "First I'm a goddess, and then I'm demented. Thanks."

Momoko and Chidori giggled.

"And there was a flaming red light," Momoko continued. "It almost looked like wings around Harumi."

Miru looked confused. "Wings?"

Chidori nodded, taking up the story. "The soldiers saw it and immediately started calling her 'Suzaku no Miko'. They haven't quit yet."

"Soldiers?"

Harumi chuckled. Poor Miru looked so lost. But the other girls weren't leaving much time for questions. Or breathing.

"Oh yeah. You were out. Soldiers of the Konan Empire," Chidori said.

"Apparently, the guy that the village priest sent off came across some soldiers going to the boarder," Momoko said. "He told them his village was under attack and then mentioned the Suzaku no Miko."

"Their captain was really handsome, wasn't he?" Chidori said, digging her elbow into Harumi's side.

Harumi glower at the younger girl.

Chidori ignored the look and kept going. "The guy kept hanging around Harumi and asking her if she was really the Suzaku no Miko. I think he likes her. Anyway, he was very good looking."

"I guess he was okay," Harumi said, trying to mask her embarrassment. She'd wanted to talk to Miru about the captain when they were alone, and here Chidori was spouting it out for the world to hear. She decided to act nonchalant. "He had red hair, and weird eyes. I'd much prefer a man with nice black hair and dark eyes."

"His eyes were golden," Chidori said to Miru. "Almost like a wolf's. What was his name? Tsube? Tsume?"

Miru sank back against the pillows behind her. "This is a lot to take in. Red lights and wolf eyes." She fixed Harumi with a look. "Are you still sure we're dreaming?"

"Tsai," Momoko said suddenly. She gave a decisive nod.

"Nani?" the other three girls chorused, turning to look at her.

"The captain of the soldiers who rescued us? The one with the red hair and 'weird' eyes? His name was Tsai."

"Way to go Momo-chan," Harumi said. "I'd never have remembered his name." She turned back to Miru. "And to answer your question, no, I'm not so sure we're dreaming."

Chidori said, "To finish the story, once the soldiers took care of the bandits, they escorted us to the palace."

"Well, part of them did," Momoko said. "Captain Tsai took the rest of them to the boarder."

Silence fell over the girls. Harumi thought Miru looked a little overwhelmed. She felt kind of overwhelmed herself. The emperor and priests had asked her to find the seven seishi of Suzaku. Now that Miru was better, she'd have to make a concentrated effort to do so. She hoped her friends would help her, but wouldn't fault them if they decided to wait in the palace.

Miru suddenly yawned so wide her jaw popped. She covered her mouth and blushed. "Gomen."

Harumi stood, looking contrite. "You're still pretty tired, aren't you? Does your leg hurt?"

"Only a little," Miru admitted, flexing her foot.

"We'll come back later," Momoko said. "You sleep now. The emperor wants us to have dinner with him as soon as your better."

"The emperor?" Miru said, startled.

Harumi put a hand on her Miru's shoulder. "Just rest, Mi-chan. You don't have to do anything until you're ready."

"Arigatou," Miru said.

* * *

The second evening after Miru's waking, the doctor deemed her well enough for light exertion. Harumi, Chidori and Momoko took her around the palace, stopping to rest frequently. They showed her the gardens, the palace itself, and lastly, the Shrine of Suzaku.

"It's all real, isn't it," Miru said in a hushed voice as they left the Shrine.

"It's real enough that you got hurt," Harumi said. "And we're wearing real ancient Chinese clothing and eating real food. I've never had to do any of that in a dream before."

"So do we have any idea how we get home?" Miru asked.

"That's up to Harumi," Chidori said. "According to the priests. She's the Suzaku no Miko, after all. She's the one who gets the wishes."

Momoko spoke up, "Harumi has to find seven seishi and with them, she can summon the god Suzaku and get three wishes. So Chi-chan and I figured we'd help her look for the seishi, and then wish ourselves home, after making sure that Konan will be safe and happy."

"Of course," Miru said. "Makes perfect sense. I'll help too, if it gets us home that much sooner." She staggered a little and Harumi caught her arm.

"Maybe you should lie down and rest a bit more, Mi-chan," Harumi said.

"I'd rather sit in the garden for a bit. I'm not as fragile as all that, Haru-chan."

The next evening, the four girls gathered in a small dining room. At the head of the table sat the elderly emperor of Konan. He smiled and talked easily with the other three girls and reminded Harumi of a favorite grandfather.

As they talked, Harumi watched the banquet being set before them. The emperor had said it was small dinner they were invited to, but Harumi had never seen so much food in one place before. A young chef, his midnight-blue hair pulled into a severe knot at the top of his head and a wide strip of leather tied around his forehead, directed the servers.

"That's Ryou," Momoko whispered, leaning close to Harumi. "He's the emperor's personal chef. He and I have been trading recipes."

Harumi grinned. Trust Momoko to find the nearest cook and start trading secret ingredients.

Finally, everything seemed to be arranged to Ryou's expectations and he directed the servers to leave the room. Then he stood respectfully at the emperor's side, waiting to be acknowledged.

"What do you have planned for us tonight, Ryou?" the elderly emperor said, after finishing his remarks to Chidori.

The young man bowed. "Tonight I have made a few dishes from the Suzaku no Miko's world. Her lady-in-waiting, Momoko-san, gave me some new recipes to try. I had several of the kitchen staff sample the dishes, so I know that they are safe."

Momoko made a sound of disgust. "He's suggesting I don't know how to cook."

Harumi chuckled. "That, or you're trying to kill the emperor with your exotic foods."

"None of us would be here if we were suspected of trying to kill the emperor," Miru whispered back.

Harumi elbowed her friend. "I'm teasin' Mi-chan."

The meal was delicious. Harumi tried some of everything, not wanting to miss anything that had been prepared. She noticed that Miru managed only a couple of bites from each course. Harumi frowned. She'd have to make sure she found the seishi quickly. She didn't want Miru to get sick in this world.

Somewhere in the middle of the meal, Harumi found her eyes following Ryou. The young chef oversaw each course that was brought out, adding a garnish here, adjusting a setting there. There was something about him; something that seemed to call to her. He never looked at her though, keeping a careful watch on the food.

Almost an hour later, the emperor sat back in his chair, his hands folded over his belly. "Harumi-sama," he said. "Now that your friend has recovered, I must request that you begin to look for the Suzaku seishi. It is a perilous time in Konan, with bandits overrunning our mountains, and our closest neighbor, Kutou, making raids into our boarder towns. Please, miko-sama, find the seishi and summon Suzaku."

Harumi sat forward in her chair. She felt a weight of responsibility settle on her shoulders. A nation was counting on her, and she couldn't let them down.

"Of course," she said. "Is there any help you can give me, heika? Or can you direct me to someone who can help?"

The emperor smiled. "I can indeed help you. I have Suzaku's Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho, which I will lend to you, and I know where one of the seishi is."

Harumi's face lit up in a smile. "That's great!"

The emperor clapped his hands and a servant near the door slipped out of the room. He returned a moment later with a man following him. The man was tall, dressed in the armor of the Konan army. His chestnut hair was pulled back in a severe braid from his handsome face. He looked to be thirty-ish. Harumi felt electric fingers tingle down her spine. The man came and knelt at the emperor's side.

"You sent for me, heika?"

"Yes, General. I'd like to introduce you to the Suzaku no Miko." The emperor held his hand out to Harumi who stood and went to his side, placing her hand in his. "This is Harumi, the Suzaku no Miko." The emperor turned to Harumi and gestured to the general. "This is General Yuuto, Suzaku no Seishi, Hotohori."

The General stood and bowed to Harumi, then turned down the corner of his collar. The symbol 'sei' glowed a bright red on the side of his neck.

"Hotohori-sama," Harumi said, bowing to the general.

"Your rank is more exalted than mine," Hotohori said, his deep voice formal. He bowed to Harumi. "Please call me Hotohori, miko-sama."

The emperor smiled. "Shall we continue on to dessert, then? General, please stay and enjoy some refreshment with us."

Hotohori took a seat across the table from Harumi and Ryou left to fetch dessert. Harumi hoped all her seishi would be as easy to find, though she had a feeling that the easy part was over. Everything after this she'd have to fight for.

Ryou suddenly burst into the dining room, slamming the door behind him and leaning hard against it.

"Heika, intruders!" the young man shouted.

Harumi's heart leapt to her throat. Ryou grunted as the door behind him shuddered. Hotohori leapt to his feet as the main door to the room burst open. Men in black cloaks that covered the lower half of their faces flooded into the room. Even as the men were pouring into the room, Hotohori herded Harumi and her friends, and the emperor into a corner of the room.

"Stay here," Hotohori commanded.

He pulled his sword from his scabbard and charged at the men. Harumi looked at her friends. Chidori was watching the scene with a sick look on her face. Momoko was clinging to Miru and crying. Harumi turned back to the battle. The door Ryou had been holding closed hung from a hinge and more intruders were coming in through the doorway.

Harumi stared in awe at Ryou. The young chef seemed to have turned into a ninja, throwing platters at the intruders with deadly accuracy. As she watched, Ryou hurled a heavy silver platter at one assailant and heard the man's spine crack at the impact.

Hotohori was no slouch either. Harumi had seen Miru's father wield a sword in kendo competitions and had thought her friend's father a master of the sword. But he wouldn't have held a candle to the Suzaku warrior. Hotohori wasted no movements. He dispatched one invader after another. It seemed that every stroke of his sword downed another opponent.

Within minutes, Hotohori and Ryou had dispatched all the invaders. Hotohori gestured for Ryou to guard the emperor while he checked for anymore danger in the hallway.

"Are all of you alright?" Ryou asked, jogging to them.

"We're fine," Harumi answered for herself and her friends.

The emperor folded his hands into the wide sleeves of his robe. "You defended your emperor and the Priestess well. You have Our thanks."

Ryou blushed and bowed to the emperor. Harumi couldn't seem to look away from the young chef. Now that he was closer to her, she could practically feel some kind of power emanating off him. Could he be—?

"It was my honor," Ryou said.

Hotohori came back into the room and strode to where they stood back in the corner. "Everyone in the near vicinity is unconscious," he reported. "Heika, miko-sama, we need to get you to a safe location, preferably where a garrison of soldiers is." He turned to Ryou. "Follow behind the emperor, the miko-sama and her handmaids. You'll protect them from any rear attacks."

Ryou paled. "Hai, shogun-sama."

Harumi placed a hand on Ryou's arm. "You'll do fine."

Ryou's face went red and he bowed. "Thank you, miko-sama."

Hotohori took the lead and they trooped out into the corridor. The emperor went next followed by Momoko who clung to Miru. The older girl murmuring soothing words to her as they passed the bodies of the invaders. Chidori strode at Harumi's side, keeping her eyes on Hotohori's back. Harumi made the mistake of looking down and saw a severed head, the eyes staring blankly up at her. Her stomach heaved, but she managed not to throw up.

A strange smell filled the air out in the hallway, and Harumi suddenly felt tired; her senses dull. She shook her head and pressed the long sleeve of her gown to her nose like the emperor was doing. She guessed the invaders had used some kind of gas to knock everyone else out. Seeing the soldiers, the imperial advisors and servants sprawled like rag dolls on the floor made her blood boil. So many people hurt to get at the emperor. She prayed that they'd recover.

Hotohori led them out into a courtyard and started for the soldier's barracks. The night was eerily quiet. Had the whole palace been gassed? The back of Harumi's neck prickled. It felt like she was being watched. She turned to look back at Ryou. A black figure rose up from the roof top and hurled a dagger at her. She screamed.

Ryou threw himself between her and the dagger, grunting as the blade sunk into the back of his shoulder. He dropped to his knees. The black shadow leapt from the roof, a silvery short sword glittering in his hand. Harumi screamed again, but this time in defiance. She put her arms up to block the blow.

"Harumi!" Miru cried.

At the last second, Ryou surged to his feet, catching the assassin mid-leap and throwing him away from Harumi. The black-cloaked figure recovered quickly and thrust his blade at Ryou's face. The young man bent backward to avoid the blow, but the blade still severed the leather band around his head. Ryou crashed to the ground, crying out as the dagger slammed deeper into his shoulder.

Harumi started to go to Ryou, but stopped as her eyes fell on the 'oni' symbol blazing on his forehead.

"Another seishi," she gasped.

"Suzaku filth," the black cloaked man spat.

He raised his sword overhead, intent in finishing Ryou, when Hotohori's sword suddenly sprouted from his chest. The man looked down at the blade, then over his shoulder at the general.

"Don't think this is the end," the assassin croaked.

He slumped and slid off the blade impaling him. Hotohori flicked the blood from his sword and resheathed it. He looked down at Ryou. Harumi shuddered. She wouldn't want to be on the end of that ice cold gaze.

"Tamahome," Hotohori murmured.

Ryou—no, Tamahome, Harumi corrected herself—nodded, his face lined with pain. Harumi went to his side. Miru, Chidori, Momoko and the emperor were crowding closer.

"We need to get to the barracks," Hotohori said. "We'll look to your wound there."

Tamahome nodded and managed to get to his feet with Harumi's help. She cast a glare at Hotohori's back as he strode away, leading them to the barracks. Why was he being so cold?

"I can make it, miko-sama," Tamahome mumbled.

"I'm sure you can," she said. "I'm just going to lean on you a bit."

She lifted his good arm and put it around her shoulders. Her friends and the emperor walked around them. The emperor gave Tamahome a look.

"You never said anything to me," the elderly man said.

Tamahome kept his eyes on the ground. "Gomen nasai, heika."

The emperor shook his head sadly, and Harumi thought she understood Hotohori's behavior. She didn't like it, and she'd have to set him straight, but she understood.

It was a matter of honor.


End file.
